Neemias 1

Nehemiah Prays for His People

1 The words of *Neh. 10:1Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah.

It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the *Neh. 2:1twentieth year, as I was in *Esth. 1:1, 2, 5; Dan. 8:2Shushan the citadel, 2 that *Neh. 7:2Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, "The survivors who are left from the captivity in the *Neh. 7:6province are there in great distress and *Neh. 2:17reproach. *Neh. 2:17The wall of Jerusalem *2 Kin. 25:10is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire."

4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned formany days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

5 And I said: "I pray, *Dan. 9:4Lord God of heaven, O great and *Neh. 4:14awesome God, *(Ex. 20:6; 34:6, 7); Ps. 89:2, 3You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, 6 please let Your ear be attentive and *1 Kin. 8:28, 29; 2 Chr. 6:40; Dan. 9:17, 18Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and *Ezra 10:1; Neh. 9:2; Dan. 9:20confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. 7 *Ps. 106:6; Dan. 9:5We have acted very corruptly against You, and have *Deut. 28:15not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. 8 Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, *Lev. 26:33; Deut. 4:25–27; 28:63–67‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; 9 *Lev. 26:39; (Deut. 4:29–31; 30:2–5)but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, *Deut. 30:4though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ 10 *Ex. 32:11; Deut. 9:29; Dan. 9:15Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. 11 O Lord, I pray, please *Neh. 1:6let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who *Is. 26:8; (Heb. 13:18)desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man."

For I was the king’s *Gen. 40:21; Neh. 2:1cupbearer.